Frieren: Reincarnated As a Demon

Chapter 114: Frieren's shield· The beginning of the exam·

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Ash's gaze, though openly lingering on Kanne's drenched form, lacked any inappropriate intent. Instead, he seemed to share his thoughts casually, which somehow made Kanne feel relieved—but also annoyed.

"—Is this the time to talk about such things?!" she snapped, glaring at him.

"Which is worse: physical coldness or mental coldness?" Ash replied, his tone teasing.

"Who cares about how an old man like you feels?!" Kanne retorted, her cheeks flushed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes were a mix of shame and indignation, and if not for the vast gap in strength between them, she might have already challenged him outright.

Amused by her reaction, Ash chuckled. He wasn't one to argue with children, but her feisty demeanor was too entertaining. With a playful smirk, he flicked her damp belly lightly with his fingers.

"You're such a rude kid," he teased. "Luckily, I'm a kind and gentle uncle. Otherwise, you'd be in real trouble right now. You should thank me!"

"Ahhh! Fer—Fern~~~!!" Kanne cried out in frustration, her face turning crimson as she squatted on the ground, overcome with a mix of embarrassment and fury.

Startled by her outburst, Ash instinctively stepped back, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Wait, wait! Are you an elementary school student?! Calling for backup when you're upset? No, no! You actually called someone? Where's your magician's pride? Challenge me to a duel or something! I barely even did anything to you—it was just a tiny flick for revenge!"

"If you actually did something, it'd already be too late!" Kanne shot back indignantly.

"I'm not that kind of person! Besides, I—" Ash began, but before he could finish, a familiar purple-haired girl suddenly burst out of the house.

"—What's going on here...?" Fern asked, her gaze shifting between the wet, squatting Kanne and the sheepish Ash. Her expression froze as she pieced the scene together, her eyes narrowing coldly at Ash.

"...Master Ash, do you have anything you'd like to explain?"

"This isn't my fault!" Ash protested immediately, scrambling to defend himself. "It's the kid's fault! I didn't throw the water—she did! And she kept calling me an uncle! All I did was flick her belly as a tiny bit of revenge. That's not too much, is it?"

Fern's expression didn't soften. "...If what you're saying is true, that kind of behavior is generally considered sexual... harassment."

"Harassment?!" Ash exclaimed, looking genuinely affronted. "She called me 'uncle' multiple times! Flicking her stomach is totally self-defense and well within legal boundaries!"

"...But you are an uncle, aren't you?" Fern replied flatly, her tone as cold as her gaze.

"Fern... I never thought your 37-degree mouth could say such cruel words," Ash muttered, clutching his chest dramatically as if stabbed. Turning his head, he spotted Frieren lounging on a swing nearby, clearly enjoying the spectacle while idly peeling melon seeds.

"Frieren," Ash called out with mock despair. "Can I borrow your chest? I need to cry for a while."

"Absolutely not," Frieren replied without missing a beat, her tone detached. "Don't involve me in your mess."

"Why are you so cold to me?" Ash lamented.

"I just don't want to be dragged into this nonsense," she replied, not even looking up from her melon seeds.

Changing the subject abruptly, Ash asked, "By the way, what do you think of my house?"

"Hm? Your house?" Frieren glanced around briefly. "It's smaller than I expected. Honestly, it's so ordinary—it doesn't suit you at all."

"What do you think my house should look like?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A weird fortress," she answered nonchalantly, popping another seed into her mouth.

Under Ash's deliberate maneuvering, the conversation between him and Frieren quickly veered off course from the original topic.

Remaining composed, he casually draped an arm over Frieren's shoulder and began leading her toward the house with a cheerful stride. But just as they were about to pass by Fern, she silently raised a hand to block their way. Her expression was as cold and unyielding as ever.

"Master Ash, do you think this is the first day I've known you? Or… do you take me for some kind of fool who can be easily deceived?"

"…Is that really not an option?" Ash sighed deeply under her sharp gaze. Resigned, he pulled Frieren in front of him, using her as a human shield.

To add insult to injury, he placed his hands firmly on Frieren's shoulders, resting his chin on her head as if she were a sturdy piece of armor. "—If you're going to criticize me so much, i might as well drag Frieren into this too!" he declared with mock seriousness.

"…Why are you dragging me into this?" Frieren asked, her tone flat and resigned. She made no attempt to struggle, though her drooping expression betrayed her exasperation.

Fern's frown deepened. "...Why are you going to such lengths to avoid this?"

"Because I don't think I did anything wrong," Ash replied with a shrug. "I've been labeled as an 'uncle suspect,' so someone should apologize to me!"

"Why are you acting like such a child?"

"I'm just standing up to injustice," Ash said, feigning righteousness. "And, by the way, I've made an ally!" He raised Frieren's hand triumphantly as if to cement their newfound partnership.

Frieren's mouth twitched ever so slightly. For a moment, she seemed at a loss for how to respond to Ash's shameless antics.

"…And you're acting like I'm the one in the wrong?" Fern snapped, her cheeks puffing up like an angry pufferfish. "I haven't even mentioned how you sneak off to meet with others while we're working! Enough! I'm done with Master Ash's nonsense!"

With that, she grabbed Kanne's arm and stormed off, leaving Ash and Frieren alone in the now-silent courtyard.

---

The sudden quiet was almost disconcerting.

After a while, Frieren, who had been used as Ash's shield, let out a soft sigh. She tilted her head back to glare at the culprit behind her.

"…Why did you drag me into this?"

"It's too lonely to face it alone," Ash replied with a faint smile. "I thought you could help me through this difficult time."

"Honestly, Ash, this isn't the first time I've thought you're incredibly selfish."

"I'll return the favor next time," he promised lightly.

"…Forget it," Frieren muttered, shaking her head. "Who says we're friends anyway? Maybe it's best not to overthink it."

Frieren, though clearly exasperated, was easily swayed by Ash's words. She didn't even seem to notice how she had contradicted herself.

The two of them sat side by side on the swing in the courtyard, staring blankly at the sky in silence.

After a long while, Frieren seemed to remember something. Without looking at Ash, she casually remarked, "By the way, that kid Kanne mentioned something earlier. She said the first-class magician you were meeting with seemed to hold you in high regard. Based on the description, isn't that the person we met at the Magic Association?"

"Yeah, that's Sense," Ash replied without hesitation.